The Museum
by Sturi
Summary: Years have passed since Atemu left Yugi, now having to go through life alone. A mysterious phone call will change his future, and perhaps help heal the past. Oneshot.


Just had this scene running through my mind and was compelled to write it down for some unkown reason. The last time I wrote fiction of any sort was three or four years ago. This is meant to be a one shot only--I'm unsure if the story will continue from where it is left. I hope this has turned out alright, and any comments/suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks, please enjoy.

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Yugi had almost missed the advertisement. The only thing that made him pause was the word Millennium that flashed briefly as he stepped over the crumpled piece of paper. He had to stop and pick it up. Reading it, he wasn't surprised that he hadn't heard about the new exhibit at the museum. He tended to keep away from museums and historical sites now. It was just too much of a reminder…it was too painful to dwell on the past. He kept his life together now by thinking forward—it had become much easier to do that as time went by. Surprisingly enough, he had landed a job at Kaiba Corporation a few years ago, much to Seto's distaste at first. Soon though, the young man came to rely heavily on Yugi as a tester for the newest gaming equipment that the corporation invented. Seto could always count on Yugi to test his products to the maximum extent. It also gave him a chance to brag that Kaiba Corp was the choice of the two top duelists in the world. Kaiba still had not beaten Yugi in a duel, not for lack of trying. And they both still held their respective titles, even after all this time. Not many duelists had been willing or able to challenge either to a duel throughout the years, so he and Seto continued on as number one and number two. Some of the most intense duels still came from their rivalry.

He sighed. There was something about the museum ad that just stuck in his mind. It had read, "New Ancient Egypt Exhibit—Just Discovered, Mysterious 'Millennium' Artifacts." No real reason to get excited, or more likely, depressed. The archeologists probably just found some stones with hieroglyphics and perhaps some old pottery. He was sure it was nothing that should interest him. He walked past a trashcan and dropped the ad inside. There was no way that he was going to that exhibit. Not when all it would do was open old wounds that had never fully healed and in turn cause him a lot of emotional pain. He didn't need that now, or ever again.

He continued down the street, on his way to the office—Kaiba requested that he be there for another duel. The corporation was beginning the testing for the next generation of duel disks and holographic projection units. He had to admit, Kaiba was a genius when it came to his gaming hardware and software. Yugi sighed again. He was starting to tire of the endless power struggle that Kaiba continued to put him through.

As he continued onward, lost in thought, he almost didn't hear his cell phone ringing. He tried to hurry and answer before it transferred to his voicemail, but he missed the caller. Patiently waiting the minute or so that it took for the caller to leave him a message, he started thinking about that last duel between himself and Atemu. Something he hadn't allowed himself to think about for quite a long time. An obnoxious beep brought him back to the present again and he dialed into his voicemail. The number that had called was unknown. _Odd_, he thought, _almost no one has this number…how could I be getting an unknown caller? Unless it was a wrong number maybe?_ He waited for the message to start.

" Yugi Mouto, your presence is specifically requested at the Egyptian exhibit at the museum today at 2 o'clock this afternoon. We have need of your knowledge concerning—certain artifacts."

He didn't recognize the male voice. _I don't know if this is such a good idea. My 'knowledge' of 'certain artifacts'? Do they mean the Millennium items? Oh no, please let this not be another 'save-the-world adventure' I don't think I could handle that on my own anymore._

Walking onward, Yugi couldn't shake the memories that had resurfaced. _This is entirely too strange for it not to be a coincidence. I just don't know if I'm ready to go confront whatever is waiting for me. I don't know if I can handle the hole in my heart being ripped at again. _He stopped and looked up at the cloudless sky, trying to divine an answer from the air above him. _What am I going to do? Atemu never would have expected to see me like this—second guessing myself, and running away from a past that now haunts me. _He paused in realization. Sighing, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number.

"Kaiba, I'm not coming in to work today."

"Yes, I know it's important. I have an emergency that just came up though."

"Yes, I'll be in tomorrow. No, you don't need to get so upset about this. No, I'm not backing out of another one of our duels…do I ever back out?"

"Fine, I'll call you later. Bye."

_Well, that could have gone better_. He checked his watch. _Noon, hmm…just enough time to go get a quick lunch and then make it over to the museum to figure this mystery call out._ He started off towards a small café in the vicinity of the museum. He didn't want to be late, but this whole thing was making him more and more nervous. Not showing up was starting to sound like a good option. Maybe some food might calm him down a little—he hadn't eaten breakfast this morning and was beginning to feel the consequences.

Yugi entered the museum with a heavy heart. He didn't know why he had agreed to come here. It all felt so wrong. He walked over to the information desk to ask for directions to the Egypt exhibit. He found it was going to be a bit of a walk, probably to get people to go through the rest of the museum first. He didn't care. He just wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible. The longer he lingered, the more a sense of foreboding washed over him.

He passed many corridors and rooms. Most were filled with paintings and sculptures. None of that interested him and he barely glanced at his surroundings as he made his way to the back of the museum and down two floors.

When he finally made it to the entrance of the lowest level, he felt uneasy. Continuing to walk through the maze of artifacts, he couldn't help but let his attention be drawn to various pieces. Wondering where whomever he was supposed to meet would be in this maze, his attention was drawn to a small doorway at the end of the walkway. He noticed that the room beyond wasn't as brightly lit as the rest of the area, which wasn't saying much. Most of the exhibit was poorly lit, less the spotlights used to highlight each display. He reached the entrance to the room and was met with a short hallway that opened into a sparsely filled room. Yugi's breath caught in his throat upon entering.

In the center was a large glass case on a low black base. Within the glass was a beautifully carved sarcophagus. The dim spotlight cast an otherworldly glow on the display. Yugi wanted to turn around and walk back out the museum doors and never look back. His body wouldn't let him. He cautiously stepped forward, as though he was being pulled in by an unknown force. His mind screamed for him to turn back, but he had no control of his legs as they continued toward the case. He took no notice of his surroundings; his focus was the stone coffin resting at the center of this room. There was no placard to describe the man inside, but Yugi knew who this was already. But it couldn't be. Yet his heart told him that it was. The hole that had been left there after his other half had left him was throbbing painfully. He reached the glass, eyes never leaving the stone carved face of his friend.

"Atemu…" Yugi whispered quietly.

He collapsed to his knees, one hand on the glass, the other trying to steady him as it rested on the floor. His head dropped forward, stopping as it made contact with the cold glass. Tears streamed down his face.

"Why? Why now? You weren't supposed to end up here….not like this. Not like this…"

Yugi kneeled in silence for a long time as the memories came racing back to him full force. He could bear it no longer and he cried out in anguish. It had been too long. Too much pain had come from that last departure of Atemu to the afterlife. He was so weary now. Too long had he gone on, with only half of himself left to endure this life.

"Yugi…" His eyes remained closed as he imagined the voice of his darker half calling out to him. "Yugi….Yugi….Yugi, are you alright?" The voice changed from his beloved friend's to one of a woman. He recognized that voice. Where did he recognize that voice from? He opened his eyes and looked up. He met the face of Ishizu, standing across from him on the other side of Atemu's body.

"Wh….what? What are you doing here? What is HE doing here?" He began to yell at her as he picked himself up off the floor.

"It was no longer safe for him in the tomb, Yugi. I had him and the Millennium items brought here. I needed to bring them somewhere safe. I needed to bring him to you…"

"No longer safe! What are you talking about? How could it no longer—what? Me? What do you mean me?" Yugi had begun to rant at Ishizu before his mind registered what she had said.

"I mean, his tomb was no longer safe. The structural integrity was failing and as the Pharaoh's tomb keepers, we had to make a decision. We decided that the tomb needed to be moved. Unfortunately, there is no way we can rebuild or create a new tomb in Egypt. The government has already taken great interest in whatever few artifacts are found these days and we couldn't take the risk of losing the Pharaoh or the Millennium items." Ishizu attempted to explain the situation.

"But what does this have to do with me?" Yugi questioned.

"Everything. You were the Pharaoh's light and friend. You helped him to accomplish his destiny, and I know he felt a great deal for you. It has been decided that you should be the one to care for the Pharaoh now."

"What? How am I supposed to do that? He's in a freaking museum now and YOU'RE the one who is supposed to be guarding him, not me! How can he even be 'guarded' now that he's in a museum exhibit?" He spat the words at her. "He's on display for the whole world to see! This is not what he would have wanted! It wasn't supposed to end like this!"

Yugi collapsed on the floor again and punched his hand into the dark marble. Ishizu came to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. He felt like jerking away from her touch but couldn't muster the strength to do so.

"Yugi. We, the Ishtar clan, want to rebuild his tomb in a new place. The Pharoah is not to be on display here. In fact, you are the only person besides those who work for me who have seen him here. This was the most reverent and safest of places to have him rest for the moment. And I needed you to be able to come in your own time so that you might be more willing…" She sighed. "I would ask you to please allow us to use your home as a safe haven and final resting place. There he will be able to rest at peace and I'm sure the Pharaoh would like to have at least some part of him close to you."

Yugi looked up at her with unbelieving eyes.

"You've done a lot of thinking about this, haven't you?"

"Yes, we have."

"I would be honored to help rebuild his tomb and give his body a final resting place. But, how are we going to accomplish that?"

Ishizu looked down on Yugi with soft eyes, she could not believe how much he had changed over the years. No one knew how fully he would be affected by the Pharaoh's ultimate destiny. Perhaps having his friend close to him would help him to begin to heal after all these years of hurt. "We saved all the materials we could from the tomb. They lay in a safe storage until they can once again become a home to the Pharaoh. I would ask that we rebuild his tomb below your home. It would not be hard to do since you live on the outskirts of town now that your grandfather has passed. Finances are of no consequence as we have been planning this for quite some time and had the opportunity to look ahead."

Standing slowly, Yugi's mind attempted to grasp what he had just been told. "Alright Ishizu," he turned to look at Atemu again, "it's the last thing that I could do for him, and it will be a comfort to know that he is safe and near once again."

Nodding, Ishizu gives Yugi's shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning away and walking out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

"Atemu…at last you'll be home. My friend…."


End file.
